So how do the Celtics contain the Heat so well? Boston held the sharpshooters surrounding LeBron, Wade, and Bosh to a low three point percentage. Mike Miller and Eddie House went a combined 1 of 9 from beyond the arc, and the Heat as a team shot 3 for 16 for an 18.8% 3-point percentage. Guarding the perimeter was a concern coming into this game, as stretching the floor would allow LeBron and D-Wade to penetrate the lane in an easier fashion. The Heatles accounted for 62 of Miami's 82 points, so clearly the Celtics did their job holding the Miami bench, Mario Chalmers, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas in check.
This was a concern earlier in the year and continues to be cause for alarm. Against strong teams, the supporting cast is just not getting the job done for the Heat. From what I've seen, I would recommend two things to the Heat:
(1) Play Joel Anthony more. Anthony may be a liability on the offensive end, but his strong defensive rebounding and positioning makes him a valuable asset. In today's game the Heat were +5 in his 21 minutes in the ballgame, more then any other player.
(2) Give Mike Miller more of the ball. If any player is going to step up on offense it his him. Also, can one really trust Dwyane Wade to stay healthy all season. Miller needs to assume a larger role in the offense, regardless of whether he is needed to step in.
Hopefully the Kings of South Beach get their act together, as they currently aren't living up to their hype. March 23rd Marilynn and I are going to see them play the Detroit Pistons, and I hope that they have made some adjustments by then so they won't disappoint her! Her favorite player is LeBron James and clearly she wants to see an amazing game from him, but I am looking forward to seeing how the whole team works together on both ends of the court, and specifically how Joel Anthony and Mike Miller are used. But for now, looks like the Celtics are still the Kings of the Eastern Conference, and Miami still has work to do to ascend the throne.
I wasn't that geeked when I saw the title of this, mainly because I'm trying to forget my man isn't murdering the court. I like how sometimes when you were referring to the elite three, you'd say "LeBron, Wade, and Bosh." And I'm sure you probably didn't think of it like this, but I liked that as it's like LeBron is so iconic he only needs a first name, like Madonna! I certainly hope the game we go to is amazing....I'm sure it will, as the heatles killed the pistons the other night. As long as LeBron is healthy and playing, I'll be a happy chica. Oh, and I definitely agree that playing Anthony more is a good idea :) He's pretty baller.
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